.svg)
Every Fluro station looks simple from the outside. A patron taps, takes a battery, returns it later. Behind that interaction is a network of 1,000+ stations, each running 24/7, each needing to talk to our backend in real time.
That's not a charging problem. It's a connectivity problem.
Four years ago, when we started Fluro with 30 venues on Chapel Street, we knew the technology had to work everywhere we placed it. Not just in inner-city venues with strong signal. Coastal pubs in Torquay. Regional hotels. Airports. Hospitals. Eventually, beach clubs in Bali.
That meant we needed a connectivity partner who could match our ambition - one that could scale with us, support a startup pace, and keep stations online with near-zero downtime.
We found that partner in Optus Business Centre Melbourne CBD.
Why Optus
Most telcos weren't willing to back a small pilot, let alone adjust commercial terms to support fast growth. Optus did both. From day one they took the time to understand what we were actually building - not just what we needed to buy.
They recommended IoT SIMs over standard plans, which gave us three things that matter at our scale:
- SIMs that activate only when a station goes live, so we don't pay for idle inventory
- Full visibility through the Optus Jasper Portal, with real-time SIM control and cost management
- Coverage that holds up across metro, coastal, and regional Australia
When we needed to explore New Zealand and Indonesia roaming, they picked up the phone. When we onboard a new venue, the SIM activates the same day. That speed is the difference between a station going live and a station sitting in a cupboard.
What It Enables
Reliable connectivity isn't a feature people see. It's what makes the features possible.
Because of the network underneath, we've been able to build:
- Tap-and-go rentals using a physical bank card, so a flat phone doesn't lock you out of your own charge
- Fast-charging batteries that work the moment they're docked
- Screen-based advertising that gives venues a new revenue lever
- Live back-end visibility for venue partners, with usage and uptime data on demand
None of this works without a station that's always online. Connectivity is the foundation. Everything else is built on top.
The Numbers
Since launch, Fluro has grown more than 400% year on year, four years running. We now operate around 1,000 active stations across Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, serving thousands of patrons a day.
The Optus partnership has scaled with us at every step. From the first IoT SIM order to remote SIM activation across hundreds of venues, the relationship has held up under pressure.
What's Next
Over the next 12 months, we're deploying 2,000+ new stations across Australasia, expanding into Jakarta and broader Indonesia, and adding live data tools for venue partners. We're also growing our community partnerships, including our work with Malu Dong on Bali's waterway clean-up program.
A network that can do all of that needs a network underneath it that doesn't quit.
That's why every Fluro station, in every venue, in every country we operate in, runs on Optus.